Health & Wellness Links

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16
Jul 10

Daily Life Wellness, Link Typhoon for 7-16-10

There’s been much in the news this week about Alzheimer’s disease for some reason. Coincidence? Can’t say for sure but let’s check out some of the highlights below in this week’s Life Wellness Link Typhoon…

Exercise, tea and vitamin D to ward off dementia: Good news in this study. The title says it all. If you’re looking for guidance on how much vitamin D to work with, check out Mark’s Daily Apple. Mark breaks the whole “D” deal down exhaustively.

Link found between obesity gene and Alzheimer’s: Swedish research recently uncovered a link between an known obesity-related gene and Alzheimer’s risk. More research is apparently needed to determine exactly how genetics factor into the equation for Alzheimer’s… so in the meantime get to work on the tea, vitamin D and exercise (see above) to minimize the lifestyle risk factors. Vital wellness in action.

Think twice before reaching for the salsa and guacamole: Think about it: lots of raw vegetables… mixed together in large batches at restaurants…. with some unsanitary conditions thrown in… equals a potential whopper of a salmonella outbreak. Turns out salsa and guacamole outbreaks are enough of a health concern for the CDC to actually track them. Yikes.

Should all kids be tested for cholesterol? (Sigh)… Really? Is this really being considered? A new study suggests that all kids be tested in grade school as standard operating procedure. Fortunately, it appears that the American Heart Association in response is calling for a more reasoned approach to the obesity epidemic, namely diet changes and physical activity.

Paleolithic Solution asks “What is fitness?”: Robb Wolf’s insightful weekly podcast this week tackles the definition of fitness. Without naming it specifically, he stresses the importance of general physical preparedness (GPP, for those in the know) at around the 45 minute mark onward. Great, great stuff.

New diet drug under review! Side effects? What side effects?… he says with not a hint of sarcasm at all. It’s true that a new “wonder” diet drug, Qnexa, is being reviewed. But, assuming it gets the green light, don’t worry about the “anxiety, sleep, and depression-related adverse events” (per the FDA) as long as you’re losing weight, right?

While good nutrition and exercise aren’t always the fastest or easiest routes to weight loss — they are the healthiest and most lasting.

That’s all for today. Enjoy the weekend!

Photo: colinedwards99

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Technorati Tags: Alzheimer's, cholesterol, Exercise | Daily Life Wellness, life wellness, obesity, Qnexa

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9
Jul 10

Daily Life Wellness, Link Typhoon for 7-9-10

Link Typhoon — Crazy Summer Heat Edition!

The last few days here in sunny NJ have been unusually hot — like 100 degrees plus hot. That’s hot even by July in NJ standards hot. So, that said, we’ll start with the all-important “hydration is important” link…

Drinking enough water during the day — especially on hot days — is crucial, and something that is routinely overlooked and forgotten by most folks. The old 8×8 (8 glasses by 8 ounces, per day) rule of thumb holds true. More is needed when outside on hot days and if you exercise.

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More Sleep Improves Teen School Performance: That’s the reasoning of a new study out of Rhode Island. The research suggests that by moving school start time back one half hour from 8 to 8:30 AM, a majority of the students studied got more sleep, resulting in improved motivation and fewer fatigue-related symptoms.

Could Cancer Screenings Save 10,000 Americans Each Year?: Yes, says a new report from the Center for Disease Control (by way of CBS News.) It makes sense, of course, that regular screenings would save lives. But 10,000 is an impressive — and hopefully action-inducing — number. Do yourself a favor: Get screened.

Scientists Discover Keys to Longevity: According to researchers at Boston University, your genes largely determine if you’ll live to be 90 or more. As far as I can tell, the study doesn’t cover the effects of exercise, diet and other environmental factors… but I’m confident that these play a significant role as well.

“Universal” Flu Vaccine? A crack team of researchers is working toward a flu vaccine that doesn’t have to be adjusted annually for different strains. A super vaccine, you say? Maybe… but your first line of defense should still be proper diet and exercise to keep the flu (and other nasties) at bay.

Another Win for Fish Oil: A recent survey shows that fish oil may work to prevent breast cancer. Omega-3‘s to the rescue once again.

Breakthrough in AIDS Research: U.S. scientists recently identified antibodies capable of killing more than 90 percent of all HIV strains. Vaccine one step closer to reality. That’s a huge deal.

Blueberry Redux: Lastly, if you missed the post last week on the wonders of blueberries, that ubiquitous summer delight, then please check it out.

Enjoy the weekend, and stay cool!

- Mike

Photo: colinedwards99

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Technorati Tags: cancer screening, Exercise | Daily Life Wellness, fish oil, flu vaccine, hydration, life wellness

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5
Jul 10

The Bruce Lee Approach to Health & Life Wellness

Normally I would save some link goodness like this for the weekly Link Typhoon, but this post on the Health Habits blog is share-worthy on its own and you should check it out. Bruce Lee was famous for his dedication to — and mastery of — Kung Fu, and this post translates the essence of his philosophy into some practical insights.

It really speaks to what we’re about at Daily Life Wellness: avoiding the dogmatic, rigid approach to health and fitness that seems to be the calling card of so many fitness routines and diets these days.

Unfortunately rigid adherence to the one “right” way is what sells product.

Fact is, there is no single right way to fitness and life wellness. As long as you’re progressing (faster, stronger, leaner, etc.) in a measured way, and not killing yourself doing it, then chances are your way is the right way.

The problem for most of us “amateur” athletes and fitness freaks is the “progressing” part… but that’s a topic for another day.

Thanks for the article, healthhabits

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2
Jul 10

Daily Life Wellness, Link Typhoon for 7-2-10

It’s no secret that obesity is a problem in this country — a big problem. It’s an epidemic. But there’s “good” news for folks in the state of Vermont. A new study out of Washington D.C. pegs Vermont among the “least obese” states at 22.8 percent obesity. With nearly 1 in 5 Vermonters obese, this is a dubious honor at best. (Mississippi, at nearly 34 percent obesity, came in dead last for the sixth year in a row.)

Surprise! The FDA says antibiotics in livestock affects human health — and not in a good way. Though it is more expensive, try and opt for the organic, grass-fed variety when possible. Or cut out the middle man altogether and try getting meat and produce from a local farm near you.

Hydration in the hot summer months is important for all of us. Here’s an article on that very topic from a local Jersey guy, Tim Reynolds, on how to keep your tank full this summer.

Also, be sure to check out my post from earlier this week on the Mighty Blueberry! Turns out there’s more to this fruit than just great taste…

Can you really exercise up to 16 percent longer by drinking…beet juice? Yep…that’s the story. Now, I can’t say I’ve ever had the stuff straight up before. I can’t imagine it would taste all that good. But, back in my juicing days, I would blend just about every nasty tasting vegetable out there with apples…and it would taste great for some reason. Apples are the key.

In the Daily Life Wellness recipe department, I just found one for grilled chicken with a walnut pesto sauce on Everyday Paleo. It’s awesome, and easy. Just make sure your food processor is in good working order. Check it out.

That’s all for now.

To all my friends here in the ‘States, enjoy a healthy holiday weekend! See you next week.

Photo: colinedwards99

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Technorati Tags: health, life wellness, vital wellness, wellness solutions

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25
Jun 10

Link Typhoon, 6-25-10

In this installment of the weekly health and life wellness Link Typhoon I’m going to set you up with some homemade — and paleo friendly — treat recipes, a cross-training opportunity, and some paleo podcasting, among other things.

So let’s get to it…

You might have heard me talk about Lara Bars in a recent post. They’re great for many reasons, of course, but they can also be pricey. Health Habits just fired off a great post that includes links to a bunch of homemade Lara-like recipes, including this killer one at the Gracious Pantry for a cherry pecan combo.

Dates, one of the main ingredients in Lara Bars, are way high up on the glycemic load index, so moderation is suggested.

Robb Wolf just dropped his latest podcast installment of the Paleolithic Solution, number 33. In this session he gets into pre-workout nutrition (paleo-style, of course,) and body fat measurement, among other things. Check it out.

Leo over at ZenHabits ran a guest post not too long ago about getting started with trail running. For the uninitiated, running trails is a much much different experience from your standard road or track running deal. I recommend it for the cross training effect and in conjunction with sprint training.

Even though this comes a few days after its official start, Nerd Fitness launched its fourth 28-Day Challenge. Of course, you can start your own personal version of the challenge anytime. The deal is that you make a commitment to yourself to do 3 health-related things better than in the past by setting specific, measurable, month-long goals.

Mark’s Daily Apple just introduced a branded line of the Primal Essentials Kit. The Kit contains Vitamin D, Probiotics and Omega 3′s by way of fish oil. These days I’m getting probiotics from Greek yogurt in my whey protein shakes, but I’m giving serious thought to supplementing. In my opinion, fish oil and Vitamin D are no-brainers.

Lastly, should McDonald’s be taken to task for making your kids fat? Should they be the poster child for a lack of health and fitness in America?

Enjoy the weekend!

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Technorati Tags: fitness, health, paleo, wellness

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